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Every January, churches from many different traditions set aside a special week to pray for Christian unity. And every year, the Catholic Church uses the occasion to encourage all of its members to participate.
In closing the 2001 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, pope John Paul II said: “We need to live and practice that communion which, though not yet full, already exists between us. Leaving behind distrust, we must meet, know one another better, learn to love one another, and work together fraternally as much as possible.”
During that year’s celebration, pope John Paul II noted the importance of practical cooperation: “As Christians, we … are called to bear witness before the world to the ‘glorious Gospel’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). In his name, let us unite our efforts in order to be at the service of peace and reconciliation, justice and solidarity, especially at the side of the poor and the least of the earth.”
As stated on the Vatican Web site for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “The search for Christian unity is not limited to one week each year.” So as we enter into this year’s celebration—from January 18 to 25—let us each ask ourselves what practical, ongoing steps we might take in response to the Pope’s call. We might begin by prayerfully reflecting on these words, from Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio):
“Before the whole world let all Christians confess their faith in the triune God… . United in their efforts, and with mutual respect, let them bear witness to our common hope… . Cooperation among Christians vividly expresses the relationship which in fact already unites them, and it sets in clearer relief the features of Christ the Servant… . All believers in Christ can, through this cooperation, be led to acquire a better knowledge and appreciation of one another, and so pave the way to Christian unity.” (Decree on Ecumenism, 12)